Even if England had not experienced one of the wettest years on record in
2012, Trent Bridge, the venue for the first Ashes Test in July, would still
bear little resemblance to the broken-up dust bowl in Madras where Australia
have been playing a Test against India.

However, since everything will have an Ashes tinge this year, even matches
contested 6,000 miles from Lord’s, the difficulties that Michael Clarke’s
team have been experiencing will have generated optimism among the Barmy
Army.

After England made India look pretty toothless on home soil before Christmas,
Australia collapsed in the face of spin